Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric & Yari Stanton & Moyet.
Hi Eric & Yari, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Our story, like many good ones, starts with friendship, a lot of sweat, and the electric energy of the stage.
Yari and I have been close friends since 1996. We were B-boys with big dreams, and our professional journey truly began as stunt acrobatic performers with a company called GForce, founded by Mike Garcia, which brought us everywhere, as seen on shows like NBC, MTV, and even opening for America’s Got Talent.
Early on, we were lucky to be mentored by two incredible entertainers: Mike Garcia, or “Breaker,” and Bobby Blakey. They didn’t just teach us how to perform; they taught us how to live and work with purpose, guided by the simple yet profound idea of loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself. This belief in service and connection became the hidden DNA of everything we’d do.
Setting Sail and Finding Our True Calling
Traveling the world doing shows was a blast, but our lives took an incredible turn when we were contracted by Carnival Cruise Line. Onboard, G-Force became FUN FORCE, and for eight years, from 2009 to 2017, the Carnival ships were our home.
The contract was a dream—great pay and a light schedule of about 10–15 hours of shows and the rest of the time training for shows a week, which gave us a gift: time.
Time to talk to the guests, ask them what would truly make their vacation unforgettable, and just genuinely connect. We quickly realized that truly caring about other people’s experiences is the ultimate key to providing the best service.
Because we had been DJing before the ships, we decided to bring that passion to the party. It wasn’t in our job description, but we just wanted everyone to have a great time!
Our energy was infectious, and the word spread. We were constantly talked about and earned high ratings on every ship.
The Ultimate Challenge and “The Experience”
Driven by a simple desire to challenge ourselves, we asked our team to be placed on a ship with the lowest ratings in the fleet at the time.
We wanted to see if our unique blend of acrobatic showmanship and guest-focused DJing—what we started calling “The Experience”—could turn things around.
It worked.
We implemented our ideas, brought the energy, and took that ship to the #1 spot in the fleet, not once, but three times in a row!
We knew we were onto something when Mark Tamis, the CEO of Carnival, came on board to see what all the buzz was about. He loved what he saw and offered us the opportunity to be on other programs because of our success across the fleet. Mark was great to us and was very accommodating.
We highly considered this offer, and I told him that I would follow him one day, but we didn’t do it because we had a bigger vision—to bring this level of passion and service back home and start our own company, knowing that we would work with him another day.
Back Home and Paying It Forward
The drive to start our own business was deeply personal. We both grew up in hard-working families who sacrificed greatly, often at the expense of time with friends and loved ones. It was their hard work that blessed us with the life we have, and now that they are retired, we hope to pay it forward.
But one thing I saw in my mother and uncle stuck with me:
the desire to work together as family and friends.
We didn’t want to wait years to see each other—we wanted to build something side-by-side.
That vision became our company, and in building it, we have not only cemented our lifelong bond but also found many new friends who share our values.
Today, we’ve taken our roots in breakdancing, Stunts, Acrobats, B-boying, DJing, and MCing and poured that same passion and world-class showmanship into our business.
We went from performing around the world to owning what is now rated the fastest-growing entertainment company between Orlando and Florida.
We don’t just provide a service; we create an experience—turning unforgettable moments into lifelong memories—and it all started with two B-boys who just wanted to have fun with everyone they met.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, the road was not smooth. Any entrepreneur who tells you it was is either incredibly lucky or not telling you the whole truth.
In the beginning, like many of you, we got into this business chasing a version of the American Dream: the hope of creating enough success to buy back time—time with family, time with friends, time to simply live instead of always working. That is the ultimate goal, and it’s built on a foundation of fairness and mutual respect.
Our biggest struggle came when we realized that this foundation was sometimes being undermined, creating a real risk for the client’s experience and the success of independent specialists.
We live by the rule of “Love your neighbor as yourself,” which, in business, translates to: respect the expertise of every partner. We noticed a trend where some event spaces, in an attempt to capture more revenue, were moving toward in-house services (like planning, catering, and entertainment) instead of partnering with specialized experts.
Here’s the challenge this created—and one we bet many independent planners, caterers, and vendors have faced:
The venue might set a low base price to attract clients, but then charge premium prices for in-house services (for instance, $2,000 for a DJ) while only paying the actual performer a fraction of that amount.
The client is paying top dollar for a “5-Star Experience,” but the venue’s low payout makes it virtually impossible to consistently hire the top-tier talent required to deliver it. This is not a slight against venues; it’s a reality of business where specialization is often sacrificed for profit. It creates an environment where everyone—the client, the planner, the caterer—faces an unnecessary risk, as a subpar performance can jeopardize the success of the entire event.
We never gave in to this pressure. Even when working consistently with our favorite partner venues, we maintained our regular pricing standards. Our value is tied to our experience, and we refuse to compromise that for anyone.
This struggle didn’t break us; it simply clarified our purpose: to be the reliable constant in an industry that can be unpredictable.
We realized our job wasn’t just to entertain; it was to advocate for the client and champion the integrity of the vendor community.
Because of our uncompromising quality and reputation, people began shopping for us first. They recognized that the right entertainment sets the entire tone for the day, and they came to us asking, “Where should we have our event?”
This gave us the power to act as the client’s guide and the vendor’s champion. We were able to separate the good from the great, identifying the venue partners who truly valued collaboration.
We started vetting venues based on how they treated our shared clients and our fellow vendors. We looked for:
1. True Partnership: Are the owners and managers easy to work with? Do they foster an environment where all vendors function as a cohesive team? (This is the most critical element for a flawless event!)
2. Respect for the Experience: Do they have fair policies on timing and music volume? Do they offer flexibility, like a 15-minute grace period for that private last dance?
3. Integrity in Business: Do they respect our pricing, knowing that a professional deserves fair compensation?
By guiding clients to venues that respected us, the planners, the caterers, and the photographers, we were effectively funneling success to partners with integrity and excellence. We built a network of like-minded professionals—including truly exceptional venues—who believe that through collaboration, everyone wins, and the client receives a truly seamless, 5-star event.
Today, our fastest-growing success is less about our equipment and more about the network of trust we’ve built. We are the voice in the room that says, “The best events are built on a team of specialists, all valued equally.”
The struggle was real, but by consistently standing up for the value of specialized, independent vendors and by celebrating the incredible venues that partner with integrity, we became a successful company—and, most importantly, a trusted partner who helps everyone achieve their Dream.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We specialize in taking the energy and professionalism of a world-class stage show and delivering it to a private event.
Our roots are in high-energy performance—specifically, as stunt acrobats, B-boys (breakdancers), and MCs who entertained global audiences with the GForce and on Carnival Cruise Lines. We are not simply music operators; we are master showmen and experience creators.
We are known, above all else, for the “5 Star Experience.” This is a philosophy, not just a label. It means we don’t just fill a dance floor; we curate an entire emotional journey. We blend our dynamic MCing and showmanship with music selection that reads the room like a seasoned performer reads a script. We are known for making the day effortless for the client and other vendors while making the celebration unforgettable for every guest.
What truly sets 5 Star Premier DJ’s apart is the combination of Stage Proven Performance and Unwavering Integrity.
1. Performance: The Showman’s Edge
Unlike typical DJ companies, we bring performance mastery to the event.
A Professional Pedigree: We translate our experience on national television, major cruise lines, and international stages directly to your event. This background ensures not only technical proficiency but an innate ability to control the flow, energy, and timing of an entire night—from a graceful ceremony to a packed dance floor.
The MC Difference: Our backgrounds as professional MCs allow us to guide the event with charisma, confidence, and warmth, not just a microphone. We are experts in creating the atmosphere.
2. Integrity: The Partnership Model
As detailed in our journey, we are set apart by our commitment to fairness and the entire vendor team.
Client-First Venue Advocacy: We refuse to compromise on quality or price, even for consistent venue partners. This means we are uniquely positioned to advise clients on which venues and vendors will truly champion their event, allowing us to build a network of trusted professionals (planners, caterers, photographers) who all share the same commitment to excellence and honest practice.
We Are Specialists, Not Generalists: We believe the best events are built on a team of specialists. We don’t try to be your venue, your caterer, or your planner; we stay in our lane as the premier entertainment, ensuring that our focus is razor-sharp.
We are most proud of two things:
1. Our Team and Culture: We are most proud that we successfully achieved the goal we set out for: creating a successful business model that allows us to work alongside our family and friends. We built a company where people are valued, respected, and given the opportunity to pursue the American Dream—to work to live, not live to work. This internal culture of respect and fun translates directly into the amazing energy we bring to every event.
2. Our Transformative Impact on the Industry: We are immensely proud of becoming a reference point for integrity and quality. The fact that clients look to us first to recommend venues proves we have successfully educated the market on the importance of entertainment. We became the trusted name for clients who demand the best, and a trusted partner for vendors who operate with the same high level of professionalism.
We came from breakdancing and B-boying to building a company that delivers a reliable, high-energy, and completely professional event experience. We are proud to be the fastest-growing entertainment company in our region, but we are even prouder of how we built it: with heart, dedication, and true partnership.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The event and entertainment landscape is undergoing a crucial transformation: it is moving decisively from a transactional service model to an immersive, experience-based community model.
The core shift is this: The human connection is becoming the most valuable commodity and the demand for authentic, high-touch, and unforgettable live moments is skyrocketing.
We see three major shifts dominating the next decade, all of which confirm the path 5 Star Premier DJ’s is already pioneering:
The days of a DJ simply pushing play are over. Clients are willing to pay for expertise, but they expect experiential artistry in return.
Elevating the Production: The industry will demand that entertainment evolve into full-scale production. This perfectly aligns with our vision for Expanding the Package: The Fully Immersive “Experience.” The DJ/MC is no longer just sound support; they are the Director of the Experience.
Integrity as the Foundation: The partnership model we’ve fought for—where honest, specialized vendors are valued—will become a more tangible gold standard. Clients who demand high quality will always seek out the most specialized providers, pushing the low-integrity, low-quality practices out of the market. This demand for more specialization and more authenticity is our natural advantage.
The most significant and exciting shift is the move from a one-time event booking to building a lifelong community brand. The industry will realize that its highest ROI comes not from new leads, but from nurturing existing relationships.
Event Service to Community Brand (The “Shows and Concerts”): We see a massive shift toward community-centric micro-experiences. Our plan to create more shows and concerts is how brands will thrive. You aren’t just serving clients; you are creating a brand that people actively want to belong to.
The “5 Star Family” Model: Our commitment to hosting “Past Client Events” is the ultimate expression of this trend. By creating special events for our “5 Star Family” (alumni, anniversary concerts), we transform a single Experience into a lifelong relationship.
The future of the industry demands more authenticity, more specialization, and deeper emotional connection. People crave real, live moments that they can’t get on a screen.
For us—professional entertainers who thrive on creating an experience you cherish—this isn’t a challenge; it’s the natural evolution of the integrity and passion that brought us from the B-boy stage to where we are today. We will lead the industry by providing the highest form of entertainment: human connection, perfectly produced.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://5StarPremier.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5star_premier?igsh=MWFjMDlrdHVlYXRubg==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/14QbLjxPyx8/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/5starpremier/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@5star_premier?si=BVNd54RdrbwpPzHx
Image Credits
Sulim Soto
